ARTICLES

Danzig

Danzig - I Luciferi 777

What can you say about a man that has been kept in the dark too long, but deserves massive amounts of love, respect, and adoration for his contributions to the music world? He is one talented motherfucker. He has been through hell and back, and keeps fighting. What an ass on him! His voice is fucking fantastic. He can carry any note in any key. His stage performance is excellent. It is amazing how, after being in the business for over twenty fucking years, he is still picking up the young fans. His fan base is from fourteen to forty, and up. He has respect for his younger fans. He gives them a combination of his older and newer work with every live show. He won't sell his comics to minors. He wants them to yearn until they are eighteen. He plays small venues so he can feel close to his fans and his fans can feel close to him. He could easily sell out any major stadium. Glen Danzig is what Bruce Springsteen wanted to be. It is amazing how they have so much in common. One thing they have in common is the influence of Elvis. The other thing is that they are both from Jersey. Vocally, Danzig is more talented.

Mr. Danzig has never tried to make a buck off of a major fucking tragedy. Mr. Danzig gives ALL press a chance to review his work and interview him. The fallen angel has given many little bands the chance of a lifetime to open for their god. For instance, Damnaged was on the tour this summer. Glen does not allow a public relations firm to control his life. He has no puppetmaster, because he is the puppetmaster. No one has realized this yet. It is time for a DanzigFest. If Ozzy can do it, God can you imagine what Glen would put out there? True fucking metal, not bands that have stolen other bands ideas. He would have the originals, along with Rob Zombie and Ozzy Osbourne, we hope. He would not have the shit that's out there today.

We caught up with his show at The Vanderbilt in Plainview, New York out on Long Island in June. It was the "Kiss the Skull" tour. The first opening act was Nick Woodward and Damnaged. Damnaged is a new baby metal band out of Seattle. They are one hell of a band for a bunch of boys that started playing at fourteen. One of their major influences is Glen Danzig. Prong was the second act at the venue. Just let us say, it was nothing to write home to mother about. Danzig and Damnaged were the stars that night. Danzig played for about an hour and a half. As Danzig appeared on stage, mayhem started. To begin with, his mic was too low. Fire the sound guy; we had a hard time hearing Glen's vocals. We know Glen is a magick man. The guitar players looked possessed. The drummer looked like Satan's local henchman. The sound these demon possessed musicians had was tight and powerful. They had orders to obey from the Fallen Angel himself. He should have done the same thing with the soundman and his road manager.

Glen gets his energy from his fans. It is the only time anybody drives The Puppetmaster to do anything. He adores them, and they adore him. He is very protective of his fans. He seemed very upset that night when kids were being thrown out of the concert, and possibly being arrested for being kids and wanting to get next to their god. Danzig and his followers are always tied together in one form or another. That night they were truly in concert with each other, as the fallen angel bestowed his followers with his grace. For an enchanting evening, spend a night with Glen Danzig in concert. You will see music history unfolding before your eyes. Times must change. Danzig should start getting the respect he deserves through radio and the press. We all know, this will never happen.

The tour was in support for Danzig's latest hit album, I Luciferi 777. Unendlich is a mystical instrumental introduction into the unknown. It sets the stage for a spiritual journey. It reminds the listener of Black Aria. Black Mass reminds me of a Crowley invocation. The Bornless One, in Crowley lore, is all of the energy in the universe that will never be born. It is ultimate power, and so is the song. He sings an invocation to get you energetically connected with him, and its brilliant.

Nobody sees it. Wicked Pussycat screams pure raw, naked mystic sex. Cats are graceful, powerful, and spiritual. So is this song. We like this song lots now, we like it better. God of Light speaks to the eternal inner god in every one of us. The hero in the song is not afraid of the god inside of him. He knows he is eternal, powerful, and without end.

This song is about the light inside of you that never dies. It is about your soul, and Glen Danzig takes us to his church of darkness on the waves of his vocals. Liberskull is a thundering chant that lets the listener know they are entering deeper into the journey of the album and of the soul. It gives the listener the sensation of falling. Glen Danzig becomes our shaman with Liberskull. Dead Inside takes the listener to a place of grief, shock, and depression. He lets the world know what signs to look for in their loved ones. He must understand their pain. This is the ultimate 9-11 song done with class. Why the FUCK didn't we hear this on the radio? Why wasn't he on that 9-11 televised special on NBC? I guess it is because he was not there to make a buck off of the dead and those that survived them. This is a PTSD song. He is also speaking to kids that are depressed and letting them know he understands. He is telling those kids to talk about what is going on with them, and the message applies to adults as well. Kiss The Skull brings Morrison back to life in a metal form with grace and respect. The song invites you farther along in your spiritual journey. Earlier, the listener is encouraged to see the God of Light within himself. Kiss The Skull invites the listener to embrace the dark side as well. The lyrics are pure poetry. The song stands on its own. It reminds me of Glen's days with The Misfits and Who Killed Marilyn? I Luciferi am all about Glen Danzig, our Fallen Angel himself. It is another spiritual message to him fans. He is resisting the mindless faith that kills the Earth. His is thinking for himself, and he is telling us to do the same. Naked Witch is a sensual romp into the dark side of the other world. There is a certain beauty in darkness. It is a life lesson about all things in the universe being necessary. The dark side is necessary as well as beautiful. It serves a purpose. Without the dark, the light would never exist. Angel Blake killed herself, and is doing time in hell. She is forced to survive like a scavenger. She lost her soul, and has become an instrument of the snake surviving on leftovers, serving those who are above her. The Coldest Sun is about the absences of pain, and you should kiss the hand that takes away pain, but everything else disappears too. There is no love when you embrace the Coldest Sun. It is a place of absolute nothingness. The hero of the song knows there is something out there, but he can't get out. Halo Goddess Bone gives our Fallen Angel a new halo. The halo is a woman. There is nothing like her, and he wants us to know that. His soul is gone. He is trapped, fallen from grace, and coming into a new way of existing. Without Light, I Am is the answer to The Doors This Is The End. It is also a tribute to the life of Morrison. Again, another metal Doors tune. It is the end of the spiritual journey on the album. We come from nothing in the beginning, and in the end we are transformed. In the end, we die. Where do we go from there? I guess we have to wait for Danzig 8 to find the answers to this question. It is a crying shame that this album will get no airplay, and you sure as fuck won't see any of the videos on MTV or VH1. You won't see Danzig on the cover of the Rolling Stone. He will just disappear into his world of darkness waiting to see if he gets the respect he deserves. He will get his revenge on Danzig 8.

Fucking run to buy this. When you hear this, you will want his whole collection of work. Then you will wonder why, along with the rest of us, why this man is not getting the respect he deserves.